2) The Slitheen Take Cardiff
by jenna-ln
Summary: It has been three weeks since Anwen met Jack Harkness and their friendship is facing its first trial called Torchwood. The job never stops and Jack is determined to keep her away from the danger. However, danger seems to love to find her. Andy Davidson goes missing and no one in the police department feels that anything is wrong especially not his replacement the... large Lionel S.
1. Chapter 1

The Slitheen Take Cardiff

A _Torchwood_ Fan Fiction

**Part 1) Text Message Decoder**

My name is Officer Anwen Williams. I was born and raised in Cardiff, Wales. I've wanted to be a cop all my life. My Mum was a cop but she died when I was a child, working for the Torchwood Institute. Last month I saw my first alien. A big monstrous creature called a weevil that lived in the sewers of Cardiff and had been abducted by a mad man who thought to hunt them for sport in an abandoned industrial park. That was where I'd met Jack Harkness for the first time since I was six years old.

Everyone in my life new the truth about Torchwood: my father, my grandmother, my Mum's best friend now my boss Andy Davidson. Now _I_ know the truth but I can't share it with anyone. Standard Torchwood protocol: all unauthorized civilians must be given amnesia pills (retcon) after encountering aliens or witnessing their technologies for the sake of the public security and the secrecy of the agency. The only person who knows that I didn't take my amnesia pill is Jack Harkness.

"Good luck tonight," I said popping my head in Andy Davidson's office. He was deep in battle with a tie muttering as he made a mess of himself.

"You wouldn't happen to know how to tie one of these?"

"Sorry sir, can't say that I do," I answered. Tonight the Cardiff town Council has summoned Andy for some sort of budgetary meeting. It meant a lot to the department. With all of Europe in the midst of a recession everything was underfunded. I worked about 60 hours a week because the department can't afford to hire any new cops. We need the council's favor right now.

"Don't have too much fun tonight I need you awake on the job tomorrow."

"We'll have a drink for you. Good luck and don't let the politicians scare you their bark is worse than their bite," I said before heading down the stairs. Andy is a good man and good at his job but politics are not his area of expertise. I pass by my Mum's memorial plaque on my way down the stairs to meet my friends and colleagues. She wasn't working for the department when she died but Andy thought that she deserved the honor. My partner, Carwyn and a few more of my cop friends were standing around the reception area waiting.

"There's my hero. Ready to go?" he called across the room. I cringed; 'my hero' was Carwyn's new nickname for me. Jack's retcon last month knocked out all memory of the weevil attack but now Car thinks I saved him from a rabid dog. Not as harrowing but I would rather not lie about what happened more often than I need to. If I need to retell the tale of how I saved him from a Doberman again over drinks I might opt out next Thursday.

With Carwyn there was Egan a tall and wiry bloke and Becca who was a short but tough. Egan was always cracking jokes and was one of the most likable guys in the department. Becca on the other hand was treated with all the respect one would pay a pitbull. You always suspect she might bite your fingers off but at the heart of it a loyal companion, or just a dog. Becca and I being the only young women on the force at the moment tried to be friends but it was evident in the first few weeks of our acquaintance that our career choice was the only thing we had in common. She thinks that Andy favors me too much and that I wouldn't have been able to succeed in the department if not for the connection.

Sour grapes.

When we stepped outside I couldn't help but look at the sky. Looking at the sky has always been a ritual to me. As a kid I'd loved the idea of aliens, probably from the stories my Mum told me about her job at Torchwood. Now since I made contact with her old colleague and friend Captain Jack Harkness I've found out all her alien stories were true. There are weevils in the sewers, a rift in space and time running through Cardiff, and a man who can never die ignoring my calls.

As I climb into the car to go to the pub my phone began vibrating in my pocket. I put on my seat belt and checked the message. When I saw it was from Jack I glanced out the windows scanning the faces of strangers on the street. I haven't actually seen the man since he stopped me from drinking the retcon but every once in a while I'll get a message on my phone like this:

_Great night for bowling_.

Cardiff has only one functional bowling alley in the west end of town. The first few times I'd received these sorts of text messages I'd tried to question him to find out what was going on but he'd either reply saying he was busy or ignore me all together. He often texts me like this suggesting an activity or a locality. I'd go there, wait around for hours and he'd never appear. Then there was one night a week ago that he texted saying that there was an amazing foreign film playing at this obscure little theatre in the north end of the city. I went, saw the film and when I went to work the next day I found out about some suspicious deaths in the south. I asked around about what had made them suspicious but no one knew anything more than the preliminary report because Torchwood had taken the case.

A great night to go bowling in the east really meant alien activity in the west. Now that I've sorted out what Jack's text messages mean I have a moral dilemma. Do I listen to him and avoid the west end?

"There this great new pub by the harbor I'd like to try, you guys in?" Carwyn asked. Egan and Becca agreed from the back seat.

"Sounds like a good plan to me," I said smiling.

_I'm not searching for trouble I'm ignoring a friendly suggestion to go bowling in favor of drinks with a lovely view of the west harbor. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2) A Party for Two**

The pub was packed. The World Cup was on and there were masses of football fans crowding around the bar hooting and hollering for their favorite team. Egan and Becca were completely involved in the game against Switzerland and were shouting and betting on each play. Who will score next? Was it a penalty? Who will be in the lead by half time? On and on it went. It was hard to get through the crowds to order drinks. We'd been in the pub about an hour and I was still nursing my first beer, not wanting to have to fight through the sports fans to get a second. Becca and Egan at the counter were participating in a drinking game and it was clear they were going to need to be carried to the car before the game was done. Car and I were sitting far back from the counter near the main doors; he was concerned about his car's wellbeing and didn't want her to far from his sights. I for one will never understand some men's fascination with motor vehicles.

"They're so cute together are you sure Egan's gay?" I asked Carwyn as Becca grabbed his arm, jumping with excitement as her team scored and he smiled at her.

"I'm almost certain that he is gay."

"Almost? Then you aren't certain!" I exclaimed playfully punching him in the shoulder. I watched Egan and Becca and noticed her hand lingering on his arm after the excitement of the goal died down. "I'll bet you twenty quid that he is straight."

"How are you going to prove it?"

"I'll bet they snog by the end of the night. Twenty quid."

"I'll take you up on that. If they don't kiss by the end of the night we snog," he said extending his hand.

"It's a bet," I said shaking his hand. I like to think I'm good at reading people and there was a way that Egan's eyes lingered on Becca between events on the television screen that made me confident he fancies her if nothing else. The doors opened to our left and a man stumbled in gasping like he was out of breath. He glanced behind himself then staggered over to a table off to the side. "Poor sod, he's probably pissed already."

"Yeah, but it's that sort that keep us occupied," Carwyn said looking at the jumpy fellow in the corner. He kept looking to the window as if waiting for something or someone to appear. That was when I saw him. Jack Harkness. It was only a fraction of a moment as he ran past the window but it was him. His long coat flapping behind him, eyes focused, and his short dark hair blown back from the running. The man in the corner jumped slightly when Jack ran past which caused me to look twice at him. He wore a big coat not unusual for the weather around this time of year, he was average by all means, middle aged, white, just beginning to bald, and he hand one hand buried inside the coat. He kept glancing inside with an expression of sheer panic and fear. The longer I looked at him the more he began to simply look like a blur. Like something I might have seen out the corner of my eye except I was staring straight at him.

I pulled out my phone and texted Jack.

_Middle aged, balding, male, wearing a coat?_

Carwyn begins telling some story about a cousin of his. He has dozens of cousins and I nod and smile while glancing back at the nervous man in the coat clutching my phone waiting for it to vibrate. When it finally did I couldn't help but smirk.

_Where are you? _Jack responded.

_Turn back, Black Jack's pub, facing the harbor._

_ Keep him there, _Jack answered. I looked back to the man who seemed to be a blur and I got out of my seat.

"Where are you going?" Carwyn asked.

"I'm going to go ask that man if he needs any help," I answered.

"Just leave him he's probably so drunk he doesn't know where he is."

"Exactly I'm trying to be a Good Samaritan you can try it off the clock some time," I said teasing him. I open my handbag discretely as I walk towards the man slipping a hand inside and grasping the can of mace. Whatever, was going on with that man I hoped mace worked on aliens. He kept nervously glancing out the window and then looking into his pocket. He spotted me approaching him and stopped moving as if I were the tyrannosaur from _Jurassic Park. _

"Excuse me, sir? Do you need me to call someone for you? My friend and I couldn't help but notice you come in…"

"The masters won't be pleased," he said glancing back into his coat. His voice was odd.

"I'm sorry what was that?"

"The masters won't be pleased," he repeated. His voice was clipped almost robotic in sound. I watched as he turned his head around and his features continued to blur and fuzz. It was like watching a program on an analog television he blurred and jerked but didn't seem to be physically moving beyond his nervous ticks.

"What is in your coat pocket? Are you hurt?"

"Masters won't be pleased."

"Who are your masters?"

He pulled a small electronic contraption from his pocket; it had the vague shape of a gun. I pulled out the mace and aimed for its eyes. The man screamed and shook his head furiously. I took a step back and watched as he flashed in and out of focus like something from a horror film. He jerked, flailed, and kicked the table causing me to jump back a step. When he finally stopped shaking his face was clear.

"Oh my _God_…"

The thing jumped, I grabbed it by the coat and threw it down on the table there was a gun in its hand or at least something gun-like. The thing screamed and started chattering in an unknown language. The bar tender got out from behind the counter and started towards us. The pub doors swung open and Jack ran towards me.

"What is it Jack?" I asked he pulled out a badge, flashed it to the bar tender which made him turn and leave.

"What did you do to it?"

"It pulled out this device and I panicked so I sprayed it with pepper spray. It freaked out and then it changed its face!"

"It didn't change its face the cloaking device short circuited. This, Anwen Williams is an Ood and it is dead."

I stopped and looked at the creature's face. Its eyes were closed and its tentacled lips curled.

"It can't be dead it was just alive a moment ago I only tried to restrain it what? How? Why?" Jack picked up the device it had dropped and turned it over in his hands.

"Oods are a race of slaves my guess is it sent a distress signal to its masters and they responded by delivering a fatal shock to the exterior brain," Jack said. He looked over my shoulder and I turned to see Carwyn staring.

"Anwen, what is going on?"

Jack pulled a small can from his coat pocket and sprayed it at Carwyn who collapsed.

"What did you just do?"

"New retcon aerosol, Robyn and Dylan just finished developing it. He won't remember and no one else seems to have noticed. That's the great thing about the Welsh and their football. They don't notice anything else around them. Now why are you here?"

"How many times did you think that your cryptic little texts were going to work? I just decided not to listen tonight and the rest was a coincidence."

"Well I didn't expect it to work forever. You're cleverer than that but I must admit I didn't expect it to take you a month." I swung at him with my purse and he shifted out of the way lazily. He tapped his com and began giving out orders to whoever else was in the field. "You should pick up your friends and go before the others show up."

"What that's it then? Wam-bam see you later then? No 'thank you for catching my alien for me Anwen?' Seriously you should at least have back up."

"Thank you for provoking an armed alien, Anwen. Thank you for endangering the lives of every human in this room, Anwen. Thank you for ignoring me when you had no _idea_ what you were dealing with. Count your blessings that Oods are passive creatures by nature and this one was only trying to conduct a scan if it hadn't gotten frightened we might have been able to find the masters but now Dylan and Marnie can go to work on a busted piece of equipment thanks to you, Anwen. Now leave and feel free to call if you think you can do better next time alright?" he snapped at me.

I opened my mouth then shut it. His jaw was set and his eyes were hard with barely contained anger. I got to the ground and hoisted Carwyn to his feet. Jack moved to help me but I snapped at him, "I can manage, thank you."

When I told Egan and Becca we had to leave they weren't thrilled but when I pointed out how drunken Car was they stopped arguing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3) Andy**

When I woke up the next morning there were three missed calls on my cell phone, all from Jack. I considered calling him back before going to work but when I thought about what happened at the pub my stomach knotted and I felt sick. The alien had been a slave and I'd caused its death. I thought about the gun it'd pulled and about how crowded the pub had been. I'm trained to deal with those situations but it had been too risky. Jack had said not to let it leave I didn't need to confront the creature it hadn't been going anywhere it hadn't done anything. Whatever Jack had to say to me about how I fucked up last night could wait. I didn't have the courage to face him yet.

I got in to work and as I walked to my desk I saw Carwyn had beaten me there. He had his head down on the desk coffee in hand behaving as if he is suffering from a massive hang over, but I guess that could be a side effect of the new retcon.

"Are you dead, mate?" I asked slipping into my seat beside him.

"Ugh."

"I'll take that as a yes. I never knew you were such a light weight," I teased.

"Becca and Egan did not hook up, they did not snog, and they say that you ended the evening early which means you forfeit the bet. The man is gay and you owe me a snog," he said lifting his head off the desk and puckering his lips.

"Maybe when you've brushed your teeth," I said smacking him with a file. "I'm going to go pop in on the chief before we get started. Drink your coffee I'm not going anywhere with you like this." Carwyn muttered something I didn't hear and slumped in his seat.

I jogged up the stairs I tipped my hat to my Mum's photo on the wall. An honor paid to her after she died working for Torchwood. I wonder if I'd remember what she looked like if that photo didn't exist. Dad didn't keep any photo albums from before she died or if he did he forgot about them when his Alzheimer's set in. I get to the top o the stairs and swing open the door to Andy's office to find he wasn't there.

"Oh! Hello, um who are you?" I asked. "Where is Andy?"

There were two people in the office a man and a woman. The man was placing Andy's pictures and potted plants into a box and the woman was fixing a new name plate to the desk. The woman was shorter than me but at least twice as wide. I can't think of any polite way to say it but the woman was fat. She was short and fat and when she smiled her face wrinkled up and her chins moved. The man was no better but he had a longer frame on which to distribute his girth. He didn't smile instead he frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. There was a firm look of extreme disapproval on his face.

"Deputy Chief Davidson has retired, dear. Who might you be?" asked the woman.

"Officer Anwen Williams, I'm a family friend of Andy's. This is all really unexpected he was just going to a budget meeting yesterday, I swung by to wish him luck, he didn't say a peep about retiring," I said rubbing my forehead feeling bewildered. "I didn't think he was even old enough to retire."

"Well he has. I'm replacing him," said the fat man as he returned to shoving Andy's things into a box.

"And who are you? You're not from this station and really Andy should be here to move his own things," I snapped grabbing the box from him after I heard a pot smash. I look in the box and see that the pot for one of Andy's bonsai trees had shattered. Maybe I'll get him a new pot for it as a retiring-without-telling-me present.

"My name is Lionel Sterlington and you should note I'm your new boss," he sneered at me.

"You're from London then," it wasn't a question I could tell by his accent. His frown deepened.

"Let's not get off on the wrong foot then. Miss William, I am Owena Clifford I'm sorry that this was a surprise to you we just assumed that Mr. Davidson would have notified everyone who mattered enough to know about his retirement," she said grasping my hand and smiling as if she hadn't just insulted me. Owena Clifford though was a name I recognized even if she was a stranger. She was the mayor of Cardiff.

"Mrs. Clifford I'm sorry I didn't recognize you, congratulations on the reelection ma'am."

"Oh it is no big thing, I only want to help. Don't feel offended it was only last night at the budgetary meeting that Davidson informed us he wished to retire and Mr. Sterlington being a dear old friend of mine offered quite charitably to take up the position," she said touching his arm affectionately.

"We don't need to explain ourselves to this child, Owena. Now be a good girl and run along, hand out parking tickets or yelling at babes in the park, whatever it is that you usually do," he said waving his hand impatiently.

"Quite charitable indeed. Very well, sir. Congratulations I'm sure this department will be grateful to have you," I said grabbing one last frame off Andy's wall before stepping out of the room. They shut the door behind me and I leaned against the frame, ear to the wall.

"What are you doing?" I turned to see Becca.

"Did you know that Deputy Chief Davidson was retiring?"

"God, he retired?" she said shoving me aside to press her ear to the door. "Who's in there?"

"New chief and the mayor," I answered hugging the box closer to my chest. I still couldn't believe that Andy retired without telling me it was so unlike him. He asked my opinion on whether or not he should buy a boat, whether a chemotherapy for his sister was a good idea or if he should try to talk her out of it, everything. Andy never had kids and so he more often than not treated me like I was his daughter.

"You can't hear a damned thing through this wall," she said with a smirk on her face.

"What's got you so happy?"

"New Deputy Chief, new favorites. Welcome to my level," she said before walking away. I could have smacked her for that. One of our many differences, she thinks I didn't have to earn my job. If anything my history with Andy prevented me from rising in the ranks, every promotion meant a new level of danger. I'm only now at the same level career wise as my Mum was when she got recruited for Torchwood. Carwyn is only a year older than me but has been at his position three years longer. I notice Becca talking to some other officers down the hall but when I look up they noticeably turn away. Gossiping already. I straightened my back and turned on my heel to head back to my desk.

"Carwyn, get up," I said dropping the box on his desk.

"I'm awake," he said popping up a piece of paper was drool-glued to the side of his face.

"We need to start our patrol and we are swinging by Andy's house."

"Why?"

"Fool went and retired at the last bloody minute and I need to bring him his desk junk, now get moving!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4) Suspicious**

"We really shouldn't be doing this while we're on the job. He might not even be home," Carwyn complained as we pulled over outside Andy's house. I pulled out my phone and punched in the number for his house phone, the old man didn't feel comfortable converting completely to the cellular like most other people under sixty. The phone rang and it rang until I heard the answering machine pick up.

"Don't worry just stay here and let me know if we need to be anywhere. I'm only going to be a few minutes. He's probably not here," I said getting out of the car. I kept my head down as I walked up to the house, Andy's neighbors know me and I don't want to have to bother with explaining why I'm here. The folks in this community grew old together; if Andy's not here I'll come back later to talk to the neighbors.

I knocked on the door and waited listening for any movement inside.

"Andy? It's Anwen. Come outside we need to talk about this retirement bollocks," I shouted knocking again. His yard was long and narrow with a stone walkway lined with flower beds. Andy gave up on me as a gardener when I was thirteen and had managed to kill seven potted plants he'd given to me as gifts. I shifted the box of his things so it was resting on my hip and knocked harder. "Andy the disappearing act is not funny!"

I looked back to the car and Carwyn was tapping the wheel impatiently. I put down the box and shifted around the flower pots on the step until I found the emergency key which I hadn't used in years. I glanced back and waited for Carwyn to turn away then I let myself in. The house was dark so I switched on the main hall lights.

"Andy, are you here?" I called into the house. There was a smell in the air like something was burning. I walked through to the kitchen and opened the oven, a puff of smoke came out, and I turn the oven off. I waved my hands trying to clear the smoke. I grabbed the oven mitts off the counter and pulled a tray containing embers from the oven. The fire alarm started going off so I grabbed a stool to turn it off.

I pulled my phone out and tried Andy's cell one more time. When it went straight to voice mail I lost it.

"What the fuck Andy? I'm at your house right now and I'm not buying that retirement bullshit just call me and tell me where you are!" I shoved my phone back into my pocket. There was a pile of papers on the counter. I shifted through them reading the addresses on mail and skimming the documents trying to see if anything was relevant to retirement. I found an invitation to some posh political ball, a few bills, but mostly junk mail.

_Smash_. I whipped around gun in hand but no one was there. My phone started ringing and I checked the caller ID.

Jack Harkness.

"Hello," I said as I started down the hall. I turned the corner to check the living room but there were no signs of disturbances in there.

"Shouldn't you be working?"

"I could say the same to you," I said calmly as I glanced behind the sofa and touched the sides of the television screen. They were stone cold. I start back into the hall listening closely but there were no sounds. "I'm just out picking up a few things for Andy's retirement party."

"Look I've been calling because I wanted to say…"

"Yeah, it surprised me too! Andy Davidson retiring out of the blue like that. I mean I thought that you needed to give two weeks' notice or something. You know he wasn't even sixty," I said as I started ascending the stairs. "One minute he's off to a budgetary meeting the next his replacement is measuring the windows in his office for drapes."

"Where are you? What is going on?"

There was another crash.

"What was that?"

"I've got to go now, Carwyn. There is a stock boy making a mess, best see if he needs any help. Remember send the retirement gift to 45 Mable Street, I just hope Andy doesn't sell his house half as fast as he retired."

"Don't hang…" I slid my phone back into my pocket as I stood before Andy's bedroom, the source of the last sound, gun at the ready and I took a deep breath.

"This is the police, if you don't come out with your hands up in ten seconds I'm going to shoot. One… Two…"

There was one more crash and I burst through the door to see a kid leaning out the window. He looked at me and cursed. He was about to jump so I ran across the room grabbed him by the hoodie and back pack and hauled him inside. He kicked and fought but he was a skinny kid whoever he was and two minutes later he was sitting on the floor hands cuffed behind his back as I called Jack.

"What the hell, Anwen?"

"Just thought you should know I'm at Andy's house he's not here. There is some dumb kid who broke in, gave me a fright."

"Well it's good to know Cardiff's best and brightest get scared by kids."

"Shut up, I thought…"

"You thought what?"

"Never mind, bloody Torchwood is making me paranoid. Just thought I'd let you know everything is fine," I said keeping an eye on the kid. He was probably around sixteen the red in his eyes suggested he was abusing drugs. He squirmed and struggled trying to get out of the handcuffs. "You should thank me a fall from that window would have broken your legs."

"Stupid cunt," he spat.

"Sounds like you have a real winner over there. What was that you were saying about Davidson retiring?"

"Not important. Jack, you do what you do best and I'll do what I do best," I said hanging up and turning the phone on silent just in case he tried to call back.

"Did you say you know Torchwood?" the kid asked when I turned to face him.

"Come on, back to the police station with you," I said hoisting the kid to his feet.

"I know about Torchwood they deal with terrorists, right?"

"Wrong," I said marching him down the stairs. I opened the front door to see Carwyn leaning against the car.

"About time! What's all this about?"

"Robbery in progress let's take him down to the station and get him processed."

"Please, I didn't steal nothing! I was paid to clean up," he said struggling as I put him in the car.

"Which explains the broken windows," I said climbing into the driver's seat. Carwyn got in the car too.

"No please this woman just paid me to go in and clean the house. That's it I have her phone number and everything. She wanted me to take all the clothes out of the drawers, medicine from the cabinets; I was on my way to the kitchen when you came in."

"So you ran and hid?" I asked rolling my eyes.

"That's the worst cover story I think I've ever heard," Carwyn said laughing.

"Here, call the number and ask her I think the house is her friend's or something," he said holding out a crumpled piece of paper.

"Fine, I'll bite give me the number," I said taking the paper and pulling out my phone. I punched in the number and waited as it rung. It was a waste of time but you never know I could end up talking with Andy, he'd hired kids from around town to do his yard work before. He usually had better taste though.

"Is the job done?"

I hit end call as fast as I could. My heart leapt into my throat and I dropped the phone. It made no sense, I couldn't have heard right. It was impossible, it made no sense.

"What is it?" Carwyn asked.

"Owena Clifford answered the phone."


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5) Lionel Sterlington **

"Can you talk to Sterlington, please," I moaned to Carwyn after we left the kid in a holding cell to be processed.

"Are you kidding I haven't met the guy yet. We had no business being at Carwyn's house you caught the robber by breaking in yourself, he is a friend of the mayor's and he already hates you. The way I see it if I like my job I'll let you talk to him and I'll go ask Becca if there's any chance she likes bowling on Tuesdays because our department bowling team is about to be down a member."

"He'll know you went with me anyway so if you're worried about getting punished for breaking the rules not talking to him now is only avoiding the inevitable," I said. "How about we go together? I don't want you to get in trouble. I'll tell him going to Andy's was my idea but please the man hates me already I can tell. Don't make me do it alone," I begged. It was pitiful but I could see Carwyn's jaw moving as he tried to find a way to say no and failed.

"You are going to be the death of me, Anwen Williams."

We went up to Lionel's office together and when he saw me enter he frowned which caused his chins to bunch up. He was sitting behind Andy's desk filling out some paperwork. Poor man, they weren't even giving him a day to settle in before hitting him with the stacks of paperwork Andy always complained about. I wish I could actually feel bad for him but after our first encounter I doubt I'll ever view my new boss as anything but Andy's replacement.

"What do you want? I'm busy," he grumbled putting his signature on a report.

"We went to Andy's house today to drop off his things…" and I explained what had happened and watched as the fat man's frown deepened. Occasionally his gaze would dart to Carwyn who seemed to shrink back in fear. When I finished he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his stomach as if thinking.

"Are you sure Mrs. Clifford was the one on the phone?" he asked.

"Absolutely certain, sir."

"How do you know that Mr. Davidson didn't ask Mrs. Clifford to have his house tidied?"

"The oven was on and there was food burning inside. Something happened to Andy yesterday and he has been out of reach ever since. I'm telling you something is wrong. I know that the mayor is a friend of yours but I think we need to bring her in and question her."

"No, the politics are too complicated. I'll speak with her tonight. There is a charity ball at the court house. Perhaps the two of you could come and explain what happened today to the mayor yourselves? We'll get this mess cleared up but I must say I doubt anything is as 'wrong' as you fear young lady. It's a formal event dress appropriately and don't expect to be fed the food is for those who paid hundreds of dollars for tables."

I bit my lip at that "young lady" bit but I was surprised. I hadn't expected him to take what happened this well. I was almost certain I'd be suspended for going off on personal business while on duty.

"Now can you please leave I have work to do. Also I'm docking your pay for the hour you spent gallivanting after friends," he said turning back to his papers. I wanted to say more but Carwyn grabbed my arm and pulled me to the door before I could .

"That was… unexpected," I said when we were in the hall.

"Just be happy we aren't fired," Carwyn said exhaling in relief. "Have you ever been to a charity ball?"

"Think real hard about that question and you'll know the answer," I said giving him a look.

"Should I rent a tux or wash my car…"

"Gah! I don't know it's really not important I am going home I need to do some more research on this Owena Clifford, call my dad see if Andy ever mentioned her..."

"You're Dad has Alzheimer's you expect him to remember a friend's acquaintance?"

"I don't have many options now do I? It's your turn to drive I'll see you at seven," I called as I walked away.

My roommate Jessica had a dress I could borrow. On her it was a flirty cocktail dress but being a border-line petite the "short" black skirt came to just above my knees. I put my hair back in a messy bun which I hoped was dressy enough for the charity event. When I went outside to meet Carwyn his jaw dropped and I teased him lightly but my mind was still firmly fixed on Andy and what happened to him. As far as my research revealed there was no connection between Owena Clifford and Andy Davidson. Dad didn't know anything but wanted to know what I wanted for my sixteenth birthday.

While we are driving to the court house my phone rings I pull it out and see Jack's name in the call display. It is the sixth time he has called since I hung up on him last time. Unfortunately this time Carwyn noticed.

"Who's Jack?"

"Just a friend, it's not important," I said hitting ignore and putting my phone into my bag on silent.

"Usually when just a friend calls you answer it," he said.

"Not when a friend is missing," I retorted.

"How many times has he called?"

"Shut up. I know what you're thinking and it's not like that."

"Then what is it like?"

"It's complicated."

"Of course it is," he laughed at that.

"Shut up and drive," I snapped at him. We got to the court house in good time as the rich people were being fashionably late so we were able to get past the front desk without a hitch. We didn't have the oh-so-important invitations or receipts so we'd been worried that we wouldn't be allowed in. Once inside there was music playing and there were some people dancing but mostly there was a lot of old people standing around and talking. Now I wish I hadn't stressed so much about what I was going to wear to blend in as it was apparent being under thirty-five with my original hair colour made me stand out more than a cop's uniform would.

"Do you see Sterlignton anywhere?" Carwyn asked looking around the room.

"No he's nowhere," I said glancing around the room. I spied Owena Clifford before I saw Lionel Sterlington. When I did I felt my blood begin to boil and from across the room it was as if she sensed I was watching and looked directly at me. Our eyes locked and I crossed my arms over my chest and didn't look away. She smiled and turned back to her conversation with a heavy-set man in a military uniform.

"Care to dance?"

I was about to brush off the proposition when I realized I recognized the accent. I turned on my heel to see Jack Harkness standing behind me wearing a black suit, hand extended and a smile on his face.

"We're just here to see our boss, no dancing for us," Carwyn said turning to face Jack. Carwyn straightened his back and crossed his arms.

"I think she can answer for herself, unless you'd like this dance?" Jack said turning his smile on Carwyn who blushed and muttered something about finding a washroom before scurrying away.

"Poor sod now that you've scared my partner away what do you want?" I asked Jack.

"Didn't I already say? A dance," he asked holding out his hand smiling.

"What are you doing here? Wasn't it your rule no one know I know about Torchwood? What will the others say if they see us?"

"Captain Jack Harkness of Torchwood is officially not here," he said pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket and holding it up. "The rest of the team also doesn't know I'm here as this is sort of a preliminary investigation."

"This says you are the Earl Jack Jones of Canterbury," I said taking the paper from him. "There is no such person. They let you in on that bullshit?"

"Psychic paper, it only needs to be real enough for the viewer and they should really beef up security on this place or at least do a better job picking the doorman. Did you drop your phone in a toilet? You haven't been answering. Marnie did that once, it was a hilarious story…"

"Jack, I'm here because my friend is missing and I want to know where he went. I don't want to talk to you right now," I snapped turning but Owena Clifford was nowhere to be seen. She disappeared.

"I'm here for the same reason," he said steering me towards the edge of the room away from where anyone could accidentally over hear us. "After we talked on the phone earlier today I decided to look up Mr. Davidson's replacement. Lionel Sterlington is a strictly mediocre cop from London who hadn't been promoted in twenty years because he was unremarkable even bad at his job. The man goes missing for a day, freaks out his wife and a week later he is offered Andy Davidson's job and he moves to Cardiff. The trick is the paperwork for Andy Davidson's retirement and Sterlington's instillations as the new deputy Chief were processed at the same time."

He handed me a file. I flipped through and then had to look again.

"Sterlington's installation as Deputy Chief is time stamped to have occurred two minutes after Andy retired. What does that mean?"

"I have a theory. Care to help me test it?"

"Does it involve aliens?"

"Oh yes," he said smiling.

"Tell me what to do."


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6) Awkward**

I blinked and squinted at my reflection I'm not used to contacts, never needed them with 20/20 vision. After I got past the stage of agony putting them in, I looked at Jack in the washroom mirror. He, courteous as always, was standing behind me with a big stupid grin on his face clearly amused at my discomfort. At least he was done laughing. He was leaning against the adjacent wall with a laptop balanced in his hand. He typed something and I watched in amazement as the words appeared in front of my eyes. Then I read them.

"Do you ever stop?"

"I take that to mean the contacts are working?" he asked.

"Yes they are working and I'll have you know that I find your flirting right now very inappropriate."

"Who said I was flirting? What a dirty mind you have there," he snickered. I stepped away from the sink and put the container for the contacts into my clutch. We were standing inside a small washroom away from wandering eyes and suspicious politicians. Call me paranoid but I checked the stalls one more time before continuing the conversation.

"Whatever, so I just wear these contacts and then you can see and hear everything that I do?"

"That is the general idea. Now if my theory is correct then there is a very real chance that Andy Davidson is already dead and these aliens will not hesitate to kill again. I will be monitoring the situation from a distance if you feel that you are in danger then I want you to blink three times and I will come and find you. Understand?"

"What exactly do you think is happening here?" I asked.

"Decades ago the mayor of Cardiff had been replaced by an alien called a Raxacoricofallapatorian from a criminal family called the Slitheen. She wanted to blow up Cardiff with a nuclear plant and use the energy generated from the rift to travel across the universe. The Slitheen hide by killing a human and then squeezing inside the skin. They are large creatures so they typically target… larger people."

"And you think that these Slitheen might be inside Owena and Lionel?"

"It is a possibility. However, this would be the first time I've heard of them using the ood or going out of the way to control the police department."

"Maybe they know you're here and want to make sure they can combat Torchwood."

"That is a very real possibility and could explain the Ood. The Slitheen hardly seem like they'd be opposed to the use of slaves to gain intelligence." He was looking at me. The expression on his face was telling. I looked down at my feet suddenly very uncomfortable. There it was the topic I'd been desperately avoiding. The image of the dead Ood came forward in my mind, the sound of its shrieking and the fear in its eyes. I folded my arms across my chest I took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Anwen."

"Why are you sorry?"

"What I said yesterday about the Ood. We have no way of knowing when the kill order went out. The chances are as soon as its masters realized Torchwood was chasing it they cut the life support. Everyone makes mistakes and it wasn't fair of me to blame you for the Ood. When this is over maybe I'll tell you about my first day on the job or Gwen's. There really have been much worse than this," he offered smiling hopefully. It was a little thing an apology but I felt a smile pulling at the corners of my mouth like a load was being lifted off my shoulders. He could very well be saying this just to make me feel better but did it matter if that's exactly what it did?

"I'll hold you to that," I said heading for the bathroom door. I stopped and turned to face him. "Can I ask you a question?"

"I think you just did but I'll let you ask one more."

"Why didn't you let me drink the amnesia drug?"

"I thought I told you that already."

"You said you wouldn't offer me a job at Torchwood out of respect for my parents or what have you. That it had been a long twenty years. I sort of thought you were saying you'd want to be friends or something."

"I do," he said.

"Well then twenty years has made you shabby because when I want someone to like me, to be my friend, I invite them over for tea, go for a jog with them, talk to them and you know spend time together. So if I'm insane and there are no aliens and Andy really did just take off and retire how about we go get a drink?"

"That sounds like a great idea. I'm sure you've probably got a few good stories up your sleeve as a cop and all that," he said opening the door for me.

"Well no lasers and evil aliens but I was in a car chase once, first day on the job just barely out of training and…" I stepped out the door and stopped talking. Carwyn was there and he stopped short when he saw Jack and me coming out of the washroom.

"Sterlington and Mayor Clifford are ready to see us if you're not… busy," he said looking at Jack.

"Nope, we're finished here. It was lovely meeting you Officer Williams. If you'll excuse me there is an emergency that needs my attention at the bar," he said shaking my hand and walking away.

"Car…"

"It's none of my business. So do you still care about Andy's house being broken into or would you like to go back to the party and find the next one?" he covered his mouth and my jaw dropped.

"I can't believe you just said that to me."

"Anwen, I'm so sorry I didn't…"

"Shut up. Let's get this over with," I snapped gesturing for him to lead the way. We crossed the crowded dance floor in silence I kept my eyes on Carwyn's back and tried to forget my outrage. I can always talk with him later. For now I need to focus.

"_Ready?" a_ppeared across the contacts. I suppose Jack missed what just happened while finding some place to get set up.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I muttered as I spied Owena who this time looked at me smiled and waved as if we were old acquaintances.

"We can talk in my office," she said striding down a nearly empty corridor. Carwyn and I followed and Lionel fell into step behind me.

"_Don't let either of them out of your sight._"

"Thank you for doing this," I turned to say to Lionel. I smiled politely and slowed so I was walking beside him instead of in front of him.

"The pleasure is all mine," he said grinning so his chins wrinkled and bunched together.


	7. Chapter 7

**Part 7) Under the Skin**

Owena's office was modest, there were no life sized portraits of herself, no golden drapes, and no obvious signs of alien technology. She had a desk that faced the doorway which bore photographs of some children with a dog and another which was some young man's graduation photo. There was a snow globe on the corner which I picked up and shook. According to the label it was a picture of Monte-Carlo. There were three doors in the room, three possible exits plus the window behind the desk. Owena sat at the desk and folded her hands neatly in front of her, smiling pleasantly as Lionel stood behind her like a guard.

"My husband and I went to Monaco for our twenty-fifth last spring. Have you ever been?"

"I don't have much time for travel ma'am," I put down the snow globe as the synthetic snow settles. Carwyn has a look on his face as if he is going to crumble. He knows how to be a cop but unfortunately he never learned to stop fearing his superiors. He looks like he has gas. I'll feel sorry for him when he apologizes for implying I'm a slut.

"So you had some questions about Mr. Davidson didn't you?" Owena asked.

"Yes, after he went missing Carwyn and I went to his house to drop off his belongings. A teenager had broken in but said that you hired him to clean the house. I want to know why," I said. I crossed my arms across my chest and watched Owena's expression which barely changed.

_A little forward are we? _

"Well don't teenagers lie all the time? Lionel, the biggest surprise to me is that the boy even knew my name," they laughed and to my indignation Owena farted causing the pair of them to laugh even harder. I felt anger rising in my blood and tasted bile.

"He didn't say your name he had your phone number. You got a call around noon today. That was me checking the number to see if I would find someone who knew something about where Andy had gone and you answered. 'Are you done yet?'" I snapped.

"Anwen," Carwyn hissed warningly.

"All I want to know is where my friend is. I don't care about the rest, the politics, I just want to know what happened to Andy," I continued ignoring Carwyn.

"Have either of you spoken of this to anyone else?" Owena asked.

_No_, I rolled my eyes in response to that.

"Just my Dad," I answered.

"Rhys Williams, Alzheimer's patient at St. Winifred's nursing home correct?" I turned to see another man entering the room closing the door.

"Oh, Clarence this is a surprise," said Owena rising from her chair and strolling about the room to greet a man who, like Lionel and herself, was heavy-set. He held a file and continued reading.

"Your mother's maiden name was Gwen Cooper wasn't it? Former member of the Cardiff police department and Torchwood operative is that correct?" he asked with a knowing expression on his face. For a moment I feared he might know about the contacts.

_Get out_, Jack typed.

"Look I don't know who you are or why you're here I just want to find my friend," I said stepping beside Carwyn so all three of them were in my field of view and one door was behind us. I could feel my heart rate rising.

"The boy, however, is no one. Just another Welsh bloke from a family so big they probably won't notice he's gone for a few days. But they will notice. They will probably notice before your Dad, Ms. Williams. It's a shame you brought him here because unlike you he wasn't a threat," said the new man reaching for his forehead. He pinched something I couldn't see then began slowly drawing the hand across his forehead and a tear opened up with light pouring out.

_GET OUT!_

"Where's Andy?" I demanded pulling pepper spray from my clutch and pointing it at Owena. I watched as a massive slimy green head began squeezing through the gap in the man's head. Carwyn was screaming.

"He's dead dear," Owena said smiling that sweet smile of hers which now just looked like she was bearing her teeth.

"It's a shame he was so skinny we had hoped no one would notice he was gone. No family and no friends. No one mentioned you until after I showed up for the job," Lionel said gruffly reaching for his own forehead and the eerie blue light began pouring out, "It would have been much easier just to use the existing skin but we can be most certain that you won't be missed. Not after you quit your job this afternoon and emailed your landlord to inform him you will be travelling for a few months. Who's going to catch on?"

"Why us? Why Earth? Why Cardiff?" I shouted shoving Carwyn behind me as the first alien loosed an arm from its human skin.

"This isn't television, dear. And I do hate dramatic monologues," said Owena. "This is pest control. I do hope you understand. Don't you humans have a myth about an afterlife in the sky? You'll be with your mother soon."

I sprayed the pepper spray at the first alien free from his disguise who began screaming, backing up, clawing at its own face and I shoved Carwyn to the side door. It was locked but with one sharp kick the lock broke and the door flew open. Lionel, whose lower half was still packed into the human suit, shrieked and slashed catching my arm as I shoved the broken door shut.

"They're aliens! They are actual, living, breathing ALIENS!"

"Come on!" We sprint across the empty meeting room to the other door as a tall, thick green alien with bulbous black eyes pursued us. I throw open the door and pull Carwyn through. I turn around to start running down the hall and yelped as I ran into Jack.

"Are you hurt?"

"No just a scratch. Big, ugly, smelly and green. Slitheen?"

"Oh yes, we are in big trouble now," he said.

"Oh my God! It's you," Carwyn said eyes widening, his mouth gaping open. "But… the warehouse and the… oh my _God_!"

"Yes, weevil-bait it's me retcon only works until you get reminders. I never would have pegged you for a clever one though." The door opened and Owena stepped out with the one unmasked Slitheen at her side, Lionel. Jack pulled out a gun and I aimed the spray can, feeling a little useless but at least I was handling things better than Carwyn who screamed at the sight of them.

"Captain Jack Harkness of Torchwood I presume?" she said tilting her head to look at him.

"I hope you understand what you have done here is called murder," Jack said to Owena. I glanced around nervously. The alien was out where anyone could happen upon it by accident and we were in a narrow hall where aliens could happen upon us at any moment.

"How many of you are there?" I asked.

"We only want to help, Captain. We Slitheen are natural born public servants and the humans haven't caught up with the universe yet you should be able to see that. All we want is to serve the public and disguises are necessary," she said still smiling. I swear that smile must be killing her cheek muscles it's as if it's made of plastic.

"You want to turn a profit so don't feed me that garbage. What is there to profit off at the police department? Why Andy Davidson?"

"Because he wouldn't be missed. No one told us about sob stories united," garbled Lionel whom I swear was glaring at me.

"Why the Ood? If you are only here to serve why bring slaves and why kill them?" I asked. Jack glanced at me then back to the Slitheen.

"Answer her question. That Ood had a scanner what for?"

"Think about it, Harkness. We were warned that you were intelligent," Owena said then her plastered sweet smile widened, teeth bared.

_Bang_. Jack pitched forward dropping his gun; I caught him as he fell and scooped up the gun. Carwyn screamed, again. I looked over Jack's shoulder to see two identical men, one holding a gun.

"Down, Carwyn!"

I fired four times cringing as the creatures screamed and collapsed. As long as their masters don't kill them they will be fine. I only shot them in the shins.

"Cease them," Owena shrieked. Lionel started rushing towards us.

"Carwyn, help me with him," I shouted. I could barely stand under Jack's dead weight. Carwyn looked at me, at Jack and back at the Slitheen then turned and started running for it. "_Coward_!"

I had to drop Jack and turned, pistol pointed at the Slitheen.

"Don't come any closer or I swear I'll shoot you."

"Hello? What's going on down there?" they stopped and the unmasked Slitheen retreated back into the office and Owena's smile fell away.

"Help, help me _please!_" she started shrieking and fell to her knees clutching at the pearls around her neck, tears streaming down her cheeks. Jack jerked gasping for breath. "Help, help me!"

"Fat lot of good you are!" I said helping him to his feet. A guard came around the corner and paused when he saw me holding a gun and the two disguised Ood on the floor.

"Hey!"

"At least they always shoot me first. Run," Jack said grabbing my hand and running past Owena, his movements were jerky and he was out of breath by the time we reached the end of the hallway.

"What about the…"

"Just run, I have the SUV outside," he said pressing a hand against his chest with an expression of agony on his face. I pulled his arm across my shoulders and we started off I could hear the footfalls of the guard behind us. I fired at the ceiling a few times and he didn't dare come around the corner. This was a small charity event and the human guards were unarmed. We made our escape as quickly as possible. I didn't see Carwyn on the way out.


	8. Chapter 8

**Part 8) Strategy**

"What happened to Carwyn?" Jack asked as I drove away from the court house. He was still recovering and I didn't trust him behind the wheel. My heart was racing, I kept checking the mirrors expecting to see police cars in our wake but they never came.

"He ran away when you got shot. Bloody coward," I growled.

"He was afraid, it is a lot to handle," he said shrugging out of his suit jacket and began unbuttoning his blood-stained shirt.

"I think I'm handling it pretty well, no screaming and no running away," I retorted keeping my eyes on the road. It's amazing that the bullet hole in his chest was healed already there was not but a light pink scar left and even that was fading.

"You lost a friend today Anwen. No one will blame you for showing emotions," he said opening the glove compartment and pulling out a clean shirt. Why am I not surprised he planned for this?

"I'm fine, Jack."

"Then why are you crying?"

"I'm not," I blinked and felt a tear roll down my cheek. I shook my head and batted away the tear quickly focusing on the road. "So where should we go?"

"The hub, I'm going to call in the rest of the team. We need to get this sorted before the Slitheen have any chance to stop us."

"How do we do that we don't even know what their plan is?"

Jack was quiet, his jaw set and eyes forward as if he were trying to will a solution out of the evening fog, "We'll figure something out. We always do."

Robyn was a few sizes larger than me in height and width but I was thankful Jack had asked her to bring me some clothes instead of Marnie. Not that style particularly mattered in the face of an alien invasion but I was glad that my jeans were too big as opposed to full of holes. I put my dress in the trash, Jack's blood was never coming out, I got shot once on the job, just in the arm, nothing serious but by the time I was stitched up and free to go home it was a lost cause. I washed my uniform seven times before giving up and getting a new one. I tied the belt tightly hoping that would be enough to keep the jeans from falling around my ankles and pushed up the sleeves on the sweater before heading back to the meeting room. When I opened the door everyone turned to look at me.

"Anwen, I was just catching the team up on what we've learned this evening, could you give me the contact lenses back?" he said extending his hand.

"Oh, right of course," I carefully removed the lenses and put them back into their case. Jack pulled up some images take from the recording. On the monitor we could see images of the three Slitheen in costume and one from when Owena had us cornered in the hallway.

"The Slitheen are the ones controlling the Ood that we found yesterday and based on today's interactions they know we are here. The big question is what do they want? The Slitheen fled their home planet to escape the law. They are out for a profit and use dirty tricks to gain power. Dylan hack into the government computers try and find out about any recent projects involving nuclear power in Cardiff, a program for the homeless that looks too good to be true, anything suspicious or potentially dangerous. Robyn, necropsy the Ood and tell me everything you can about its situation at death and if there is any way to efficiently disable them, humanely if possible they are slaves they serve their masters and are not inherently bad. Marnie, continue you evaluation of the alien tech taken off the Ood. Anwen, get comfortable maybe email your roommate and tell her to go visit friends for the night whatever it takes just get her out of the apartment, the Slitheen might come looking. Don't use your phone they could track it," Jack clapped his hands together dismissing his team and the all piled out of the meeting room. I leaned against the table and watched as Jack did something with the computer. He paused and turned to look at me. "What?"

"Nothing, I just find it interesting to see _Captain_ Jack Harkness at work," I said. "I'll need a computer to send that email to my roommate."

"Go talk to Robyn she'll be able to get you set up," he said a grin cracked across his face. I followed Robyn down into medical pit. The Ood was stretched out on the table its slanted eyes were shut and it smelled vaguely of formaldehyde.

"You are preserving the body?" I asked.

"Yes all deceased aliens are preserved and put into storage in case we need them for study or extraordinary circumstances. Here is my lap top open my files and I might have to kill you," I laughed and she smiled but it was a bit stiff. She handed over the PC and got to work on the Ood. I was personally better accustomed to apple computers but the PC was easy enough to navigate. I opened a web browser and started at my email. I paused when my profile image appeared in the corner of the screen. It was an old picture from when I graduated college, one I hadn't bothered to change yet for lack of a better picture. My dad was standing beside me smiling; it had been a good day for him. However, what made me pause was what wasn't in the picture. Andy was standing behind the camera smiling as if his own kid were graduating from college. That was one of the best things about Andy. He always made me feel like family.

I swallowed the lump in my throat determined not to lose it while the others were working. I typed a quick email to my roommate with the only sort of excuse that could possibly get Jess out of the apartment for the entire evening. I close Robyn's lap top and set it aside and lean against the railing and I watch the Ood's face, I didn't like biology in school. Cutting open living (or formerly living) things open made my stomach churn.

Maybe if I can focus on the face of it I can lose myself in the curiosity of alien life…

"How did you guys find out about the Ood?" I asked.

"It was a fluke of the equipment. That scanner or whatever it is started admitting a frequency of sound that was picked up by our communicators Marnie found the source and Jack went to investigate. It'd been standing in the middle of the road up there like it thought it was invisible."

"Not invisible just unnoticeable. When you say up there you mean just above the hub?"

"Yes," Robyn said not looking up from the chest cavity of the Ood.

"Can I see where you store the alien tech?" I asked.

"It's really not the time for a tour, Anwen," Robyn said mild annoyance seeping into her voice. I got up from where I was sitting and I jogged over to where Marnie was working.

"Do you think you know how that thing works?" I asked.

"Yes, the damage it suffered was minimal I think I could even get it working again…"

"Yeah, great can you show me where the alien tech is stored?" I asked. She looked puzzled but she got up and led me down a hallway. The branches of the hub were very cave-like with florescent light installed in the ceiling and arcs of steel reinforcing a concrete tube. I followed Marnie down a flight of stairs and into a dark room. She flicked the light switch and I inhaled sharply.

"You said you knew how the scanner worked, yeah?"

"Yes, high frequency radio waves were emitted and when those waves experienced interference they…"

"Marnie, I went to college to become a cop just answer a question for me. Could that scanner be used to find anything in this room," I asked stepping into the center and turning to look around. The room was taller than the main entrance with the walls lined with vaults of varying sizes that extend up almost three stories. I could almost hear the humming of thousands of storage containers. Marnie stepped inside and I saw her lips form a silent 'oh.'

"The Ood was looking for the hub," I said.

"And he most definitely would have found it."


	9. Chapter 9

**Part 9) Terror Tactics**

"Jack! We know what the Slitheen are looking for!" I shouted as Marnie and I bounded up the stairs from the archives. Dylan and Jack were standing around a computer monitor and Robyn was standing over the Ood, scalpel in hand but she stood at attention listening to the news report. The familiar voice of Hazel Sawyer the woman from Cardiff's local news station filled the hub. I walked up beside Jack and saw my face on the screen.

"Suspect is believed to be armed and dangerous. Deputy Chief Sterlington has this to say:"

The screen switched to a podium outside the court house where Sterlington was back inside his human costume and wearing a serious expression with the perfect amount of sadness and passive outrage. This was a member of his department he was talking about after all. It should upset him so that's what he'll let the public see.

"We do not know when Ms. Williams and Mr. Adams first engaged in terrorist activities. Mr. Adams is now in custody. I just want the people of Cardiff to know that their crimes against the public will not be devalued or untried because they were cops. They threatened a dear friend of mine tonight and I am disappointed and appalled. Anwen, if you are out there watching this please turn yourself in. Before anyone else needs to be hurt…"

"Bloody bastards," I hissed.

"It makes sense," said Dylan. "Does Mr. Adams know anything?"

"About us, no. But he saw the Slitheen and his memory recovered from the last time we retconned him," Jack said watching the screen with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What are they going to do to him, Jack? He's a moron! He will try and tell people and sound completely mad!"

"Exactly, they mentioned him publicly which means they were too late to dispose of him quietly. Your friend will be safe. Worst case scenario he'll receive psychiatric care for his delusions about aliens in Cardiff, it wouldn't be the first time," he said turning off the news report. "Dylan, monitor the situation and notify us if anything important happens."

"Captain, we think we understand what the Slitheen are here for," Marnie said.

"Then let's hear it," he said leaning against the wall arms crossed his expression reminded me, for just a fraction of a moment, of the look on Lionel Sterlington's face whenever I tried to speak to him. A look that said he was listening but not expecting much. Marnie who was comfortable in cyberspace, wielding a torch or a pistol, and chasing down weevils grasped the fingers of her right hand tightly. It was a small thing but I once dated a guy in high school who did the same thing.

A nervous tick.

It dawned on me then that what I'd seen last time I was here had been a show or a product of adrenaline. Jack didn't retcon me because he was alone because he said he had no friends. It's more than just that these people aren't friends to him. He is a stranger to them. These weren't colleagues they were subordinates and they were frightened of him.

"The Slitheen want Torchwood," I said.

"What do you mean by that?" he said turning away from Marnie for a moment. Out the corner of my eye I saw her take a breath and she looked at me so I continued.

"You have the largest collection of technology from across the galaxy and time just sitting in the archives. Tell me that the Slitheen couldn't make some use of that. Marnie was just explaining to me how the Ood's scanner worked. What was it about the waves and interference," I said smiling at her. She released the death grip on her own hand and launched into an explanation of the science behind the scanner. Jack nodded as he listened then when she finished he smiled.

"Excellent work Marnie, are you certain you can get the scanner working again?"

"Absolutely, sir," she said.

"Perfect. We can fight fire with fire. They found us using alien technology and we can use this to find theirs. How soon will the scanner be functional?" he asked.

"Give me an hour, tops I just need to do a little rewiring and we'll be able to send out a pulse with a five kilometer radius. If there is any more, functional alien tech in Cardiff we will know about it," Marnie said clapping her hands together and jogging over to her work station excitedly. The others went back to their work leaving me alone in front of the unoccupied monitor. I watched Jack cross the hub to enter his office. He'd already changed out of his suit and was once again wearing his signature blue shirt and suspenders. The military coat was hanging on a coat rack in the corner. I watched him as he worked. He was making phone calls for a short while then he turned to a pile of paper work on his desk. The pulp mountain made me smile. It doesn't matter if you are breaking up bar fights or detaining rogue weevils the paper work will follow you into any institutional job.

I look around the hub and just take in what I'm seeing. Dylan was plugged into multiple monitors with images of the news passing through and graphs and schematics. Marnie was at her work bench with goggles on prodding the little contraption with smooth sure movements and Robyn was in her medical pit preparing the deceased ood for storage.

This isn't the Torchwood of my dreams.

I walked into Jack's office and closed the door behind me.

"Oh, that's a serious face and a dramatic entrance. I get the feeling I'm in trouble," he said smiling playfully.

"You are an ass, Jack Harkness," I said crossing my arms. "What did you ever do to Marnie to make her afraid of you?"

"I'm her boss isn't a spot of fear helpful in those relationships?"

"No. No fear is never helpful. Never healthy. No wonder your lonely you make the people you work with too nervous to talk to you," I said struggling to keep my voice low. I don't understand why Jack's relationship with his team upset me so much but with nowhere else to go and nothing to contribute it mattered.

"It's safer this way. Not knowing them. Not caring about them. You should understand why," he said running a hand through his hair, eyes shut as if to block me out.

"Torchwood's short life expectancy, yeah, I get it. You know my Mum told me stories about this place. About her co-workers and the aliens. I don't remember the details but she talked about the team and how you all relied on one another. You were friends as well as colleagues and I think that helps make the job bearable. You said it yourself, you are alone. I guess Marnie and Dylan have each other. Who has Robyn got? Does she even have a life outside Torchwood?"

"I don't know."

"Well bloody hell Jack who is she going to talk to if not you or them," I snapped.

"Anwen, stop pacing for a moment and sit down," Jack said gesturing to the chair across from him. I opened my mouth to protest that I wasn't pacing but then I realized that I was. Feeling flustered I flopped down into the chair. "The team of Gwen's time was a different sort of Torchwood. Different than it had never been before. Before Gwen came to Torchwood there still was a team but on the job we focused _on the job_ and I didn't get involve with the personal business of my coworkers or employees. Now the old regime was flawed I'll be the first to admit it but one thing is certain. It is easier to carry on when you don't know the medic's fiancée was murdered by an alien. It's easier to carry on when the technical analyst doesn't confide her fears to you. It's easier to carry on if you don't dance with the tea boy at the second in command's wedding. And it sure as _hell_ is easier to carry on when you don't love them. I remember everyone to ever pass through those doors and the only ones that kill me every time I think their names, worked for Torchwood at the same time as Gwen. Dr. Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato, Ianto Jones, and Gwen Cooper. You don't work here; you never have and never will. Don't tell me how I should be treating the team. They are adults who can handle their own problems. They don't need me to interfere and I don't _want_ to," Jack snapped.

"So how do you?"

"How do I what?"

"Carry on when all your friends are dead?"

The anger in the room evaporated. I felt a drop of water fall onto my hand and I wiped my eyes before anymore could escape. Jack got up and walked around his desk to kneel beside me. I squeezed my eyes shut trying to stop the tears and refused to look at his face.

"They aren't dead yet. We can't know that. We'll find Carwyn. We'll get your name cleared, and his and everything will be alright," Jack said squeezing my hands reassuringly.

"Yeah."

"It will be okay again, Anwen. It will take time and it will hurt but everything will be okay."

_Knock_, _knock_, _knock_. I wiped away the last of the moisture in my eyes and looked up to see Dylan in the doorway of Jack's office.

"Sorry to interrupt sir but we believe the scanner is working," he said politely ignoring the fact that he may have seen me crying. I pulled my hands from Jack's and stood up.

"Let's get this party started then," I strode from the room and acted as if the encounter hadn't occurred.


	10. Chapter 10

**Part 10) Alive?**

"Here we go. The scanner will be able to pick up spikes in radiation, energy surges, atypical EM waves all the usual signs of alien technology now since we are activating it inside the hub it will go berserk initially but then its signal will radiate out across Cardiff. Dylan and I've hooked it up to the monitor which will show us if any alien tech is being stored approximately within the city limits," Marnie said dancing about the equipment. We all stood in the heart of the hub and the anticipation was thick in the air. Their base was under threat and now it was beyond the job for them it was hitting home. Everyone wanted the Slitheen dealt with as soon as possible. I stood back to let Dylan and Marnie finish prepping the machinery and couldn't help but bite my nails. This will lead to the aliens and possibly Andy.

_But more likely Andy's corpse_.

"Here we go," Marnie said picking up the device scavenged from the ood. She held the thing in her hand. It still looked a lot like a gun to me and I suppose she saw it too because when she pulled the trigger she was pointing it at the wall instead of facing the expecting expressions of her coworkers. Her entire body shuddered and moments after everyone else shuddered in a similar manner. You felt a physical pulse pass through your body as if knocked back by a wave. The monitors started beeping and there were red lights popping up all over the screen.

"First wave. It's just telling us what we already know that the hub is loaded with alien technology from across time and space. Give it a moment," she said holding up her hand as if for dramatic effect and the monitor went silent. We watched as the wave moved outwards from the center of the map and passed through Cardiff.

"Will it be felt like that everywhere?"

"Only near the center and it will be explained away as an earthquake," Dylan said watching the monitor. There was a lot riding on the results of this scan. There was a huge knot in my stomach. I haven't been this anxious since the moving my Dad into St. Winifred's nursing home. I could see the intersection on the grid where the police station was and I tightened my fists as the pulse approached the station. When it passed over there was a beep. A red light highlighted the police station and then there was a second at the court house. The signal from the court house was larger though.

"Of course, they are based there," Jack said grabbing his coat and pulling his arms through its sleeves. "We need to divide and conquer. Half of us go to the police department to find whatever the Sterlington imposter may have left behind and half to go to the court house. They didn't have an image of me to release to the press and I have some contacts within the municipality that should prevent the Slitheen from causing any additional trouble. Robyn and Dylan, go the police department search for any signs of the alien technology and take custody of Carwyn Adams. Marnie will come with me to the court house. Hopefully we will be able to _persuade_ the Slitheen and the Ood into leaving."

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"Stay here. Watch the monitors. The skin suits require the Slitheen to compress themselves and those compressors will turn up on the monitor if they begin advancing on the Hub, call and we will come back. The hub is all but impregnable you should be safe in here."

"Excuse me. I can take care of myself why should I stay here and sit tight. These are my friends being threatened!"

"And your face has been splashed across the news with the word terrorist in the caption. If we take you out there then you could disappear like Andy or be thrown in jail like Carwyn. We will sort out the politics after the threat has been eliminated. We have that power but not right now. Stay and watch," Jack said heading for the door the others filed out behind him. Marnie paused and jogged back to give me a hug.

"Everything will be just fine," she said.

"Yeah, I hope so. Look, if anything bad happens don't abandon him please. I know this probably sounds insane but no matter what even if he dies don't leave him," I said holding her tight.

"I promise and thank you," she said running after the rest of the team leaving me alone in the hub. "I'm glad that the Captain didn't give you the retcon."

Every five minutes I sent out another pulse and the red dots signifying alien technology never moved from the court house and the police department. I might have used that time to explore the hub but it was rather eerie to be there alone. I could hear the sounds of weevils coming up from the cellars and the distant humming of alien machines whose functions I could barely guess at. I sat down to a computer and searched the data bases for everything they had on the Slitheen family which wasn't a lot. Everything the computer had to say Jack had already summed up neatly. After I was satisfied I wasn't going to learn anything new about the alien invaders at hand I sat alone for a while contemplating and debating before I reopened the search program and typed in: _Gwen Williams_.

When nothing came up I tried _Gwen_ _Cooper_ and that brought up my Mum's personnel file which was password protected. It was strange to me that the information about the aliens had been so easy to find but information on past employees was secure. Perhaps, it was to keep the new employees from getting frightened out of their jobs. Torchwood employees have a very short life expectancy after all. I'll need to ask Jack about seeing her information when this is all done. I believe I have a right to know about what she did here after everything I've witnessed.

My phone began vibrating in my pocket startling me out of my thoughts. I pulled it out expecting to see Jack's name in the caller ID but it wasn't.

I flipped my phone open, "Andy?"

"Anwen," he said and I couldn't help but laugh. It was a hysterical laugh though and I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from any more getting out. Nevertheless I felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders, as if I'd been holding my breath and now I was breathing again. Andy's alive.

"Where are you? What has happened?"

"I'm in a cupboard… It's very dark in here… I think I've been drugged," he said voice wavering.

"You're in a cupboard? Do you know where that cupboard is? Can you tell me what has happened?"

"I… don't know I went to the meeting and I met with the mayor and there was a light and…" he began whimpering and the pathetic sound broke my heart.

"Listen to me Andy. Owena Clifford, the mayor she is an alien and she and her family have killed people. They tried to kill me and Carwyn now I've been in touch with Torchwood and they are working to stop these aliens. I need you to try and find something that can help tell me where you are. Anything at all. Can you try to get out?"

"I should have known you'd be involved by now. You really are your mother's daughter aren't you?" he continued to talk as he tried to find a way out of the cupboard but the more he spoke the less I heard. I felt like I might be sick.

"Where did you get your cell phone Andy?"

"I found it on the ground beside me when I woke up."

"And you called me not the police department."

"Well there were a lot of missed calls from you. Why? Should I call the police department?"

"Andy, I'm underground the Slitheen have framed me as a terrorist."

"Why would they go to the trouble? I'm scared," he whimpered. I sent out another pulse on the scanner and when it reached the court house all the red lights that had been inside the infrastructure were now outside except for one. The light that represented Jack and Marnie was only just approaching the courthouse while Dylan and Robyn had already arrived at the police department.

"I'm so sorry Andy," I said but I couldn't hang up before I heard the roar I'd come to associate with fireworks over the course of my childhood but fireworks don't end in dial tones. I pull the trigger on the scanner again and watch as the pulse travels over the court house and the single red light that had been inside was gone.


	11. Chapter 11

**Part 11) Vinegar in the Wound**

My cell phone began vibrating again a few moments after I had the news pulled up on one of the monitors. The screen was filled with the image of the courthouse, shattered windows spewing black clouds of smoking whilst the ground was littered in glass and ash. The reporter was remarking on the estimated casualties to Cardiff's upper class but there was no mention of the old cop who died trying to find his way out of a cupboard. There was no sign either of Mayor Owena or Chief Sterlington but they were out there. They set off the bomb regardless of what Hazel Sawyer says.

I pick up the phone and answer it.

"Hello," I said.

"Have you been watching the news," Jack asked.

"I just turned it on now. I thought it would be a cheery break from the BBC," I said trying to sound upbeat but my voice came out flat and emotionless.

"Were the Slitheen inside?"

"No. The bastards cleared the building before setting off the bomb."

Jack paused for a moment, "What happened, Anwen?"

"I know you said not to answer the phone but I needed to know… If Andy was okay. They, uh, left him his phone and uh… he called just before... He was drugged and in the dark. He thought he was in a cupboard and…" I took a deep shuddering breathe trying to calm myself. "I want to hurt them Jack. I want to hurt them so bad."

My fists were clenched and I could feel my nails breaking the skin of my left hand.

"Anwen, I'm so sorry. I promise you that the Slitheen will pay for what they've done and I think I know how."

"How?"

"The Slitheen you hit with the pepper spray earlier hasn't turned up. He was a judge of sorts and was on the guest list but hasn't been seen since we left the court house earlier but Lionel and Owena have been in the public eye."

"What does that mean?"

"Slitheen are vulnerable to acetic acid due to a high calcium content in their bodies and the substance literally dissolves them. When exposed to high volumes of acetic acid their bodies release a gas that can cause them to… blow up," added a female voice.

"I didn't enjoy sciences in school Marnie speak mortal."

"Your pepper spray killed the Slitheen Judge. Pepper spray contains acetic acid," Jack said. "The hub has an emergency sprinkler system installed if you go into the computer and type in emergency code 4119246 then the sprinkler system will be automatically hooked up to a tank of vinegar."

"You just happen to have a tank of vinegar that you can spray the hub with at free will?"

"Not exactly. Vinegar is a key component in the weevil repellant. It was a safety precaution installed in case a weevil ever got loose from the cells. I want you to cover the computers and ensure all the paper work and files are safe and away then be prepared because I am watching Lionel Sterlington and Owena Clifford driving away from the scene of the explosion right now."

I hung up the phone and got started.

I could hear the approach of the Slitheen. They sounded as if they'd removed their skin suits on the way in and were speaking in garbled tones as if I were hearing them under water. I folded my arms across my chest and clenched my fists. This is it. I feel the fire alarm under my hand and consider pulling it as I listen to their footsteps but something inside me keeps me still. It's a dark something that I've felt crawling around under my skin ever since Sterlington showed up at the police station and Andy was missing. It got stronger when I was forced to listen to him die. The huge green creatures entered the storage hall.

"_You_," hissed the one I believe to be Lionel.

"Yes it is me. Were you hoping I was stupid enough to run to the police department after you told the media I'm a terrorist?" I asked flexing the fingers that rested on the lever. "You are a liar."

"What are you talking about?" asked the Slitheen.

"As if you don't know! Locking an innocent man in a cupboard so I'd get to listen to him die as the court house blew up. You are sick, sick people you Slitheen are," I snapped pounding my fist against the wall.

"Oh for goodness sakes we aren't Slitheen, child. You think the Slitheen are the only family from Raxacoricofallapatoria that could do something like this! It was convenient before now it is just annoying. We are Blaeveen. The Northern Blaeveen to be more exact. Secondly we ordered our ood to dispose of your friend and I sincerely do not know what you are talking about…" the alien stopped talking suddenly and looked down at its arm. We were all silent for a moment and I heard it. The faint _plop _of water on skin followed by a _hiss_.

"Acetic acid," the creature hissed. "It is a trap!"

"You won't get to the exit before I pull this lever and if you try to kill me I'll pull it anyway."

"What does it matter to you if Torchwood is looted? The worst that can happen is you forget," snarled Lionel. "What do you want from us?"

"I want my friends back," I said pulling the lever and watching as the fluid rained down on the three of us. It felt just like water on my skin but the two Blaeveen screamed and true to Marnie's description: exploded. I flinched as green goop splattered against the walls of the storage hall but it didn't take long for the vinegar to begin working its chemical magic. The green ooze slid down the drain in the middle of the floor and it was as if they'd never been there. A drop of vinegar ran down my cheek and I wiped it away and started to walk towards the exit.

I walked past to computers covered in tarp and slipped underneath to send out one more pulse across the city. There were still strong readings of alien tech in the police station. I thought that I'd call Jack when I got out there but when I crawled out from beneath the tarp I nearly screamed. An ood stood before me tilting its huge head, unmasked and unblinking.

"Vengeance is bittersweet is it not?" the ood asked. Its tentacles curled and bobbed as it spoke holding a bright orb in front of my face. "You hurt those who wronged you but what does it leave behind? You're friend is still dead but now there is blood on your hands too."

"I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt your friend. Your masters are gone now. You are free!" The creature blinked and stared for a long moment before saying.

"Our kind is many years away from freedom also many years from our enslavement. You have a familiar look about you though. One mustn't forget the face of a time traveler."

"You're completely mad," I said.

"Perhaps it is early to talk of travelling doctors and blue boxes. We wish you well and if it is all the same to the human race we will return what has been stolen to the Navarinos," the ood said turning to leave.

"Thank you for saving Andy," I shouted to the retreating ood. "It was you that sheltered him wasn't it?"

"Yes. The Ood express their deepest sympathies he did not survive but it was not at our liberty to change your history. However," the ood paused turning to face her once again. "As a parting gift and thanks for what has yet to happen. There is a bomb of Raxacoricofallapatorian origin in the police department you have five minutes to detonation. Godspeed, Anwen Williams," the ood said before disappearing before my very eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

**Part 12) Boom Boom**

_Marnie_

So many cops had gone to attend to the scene of the courthouse explosion that when Jack and Marnie arrived at the Cardiff police department there was only a skeleton staff working there. They got a few sideways glances as the strolled in, not completely without cause for surely it's not every day that a girl with blue hair and neck tattoo is escorted in by a man in suspenders and a military coat. She glanced around feeling a little uneasy. Last time she'd been to a police station she'd been in handcuffs and her eyes had been burning from pepper spray.

"Chief Constable Matthews," Jack said shaking hands with a tall and lean woman with her hair cropped short and a frown firmly planted on her face. "I'm sorry we have to meet under these conditions."

"It's a sorry day whenever Torchwood is knocking on my door. I've already spoken with your operatives and granted your conditions now what do you want?"

"Firstly I'd like to see my team members and then we ought to find someplace to talk," he said.

"They're upstairs," she said leading them up a curved staircase to the second floor of the building. Near the top of the stairs Marnie paused. There was a picture hanging on the wall that looked familiar to her. It was a picture of a woman with long dark hair pulled back wearing a police uniform. She was smiling. The small plaque underneath the picture said: _Gwen Cooper, the hero of Cardiff 1978-2017_.

"Come on, Marnie," Captain Harkness called back when he noticed her pause. She gave her head a shake and lopped up the last flight of stairs to catch up with him. Matthews led the two of them into an office space where Robyn was busy examining a young man with curly red hair that Marnie recognized as Carwyn Adams from the warehouses. Beside them Dylan stood with a look of concentration on his face as he looked at a tablet screen. She felt a smile creeping onto her face at the sight of him but clasped her hands together behind her back instead of going to him. The captain wouldn't say anything about a little PDA but he'd get a look in his eyes that always made Marnie hesitate because she wasn't sure of what thoughts the look was hiding.

Carwyn looked up and when he saw Jack he went white as a ghost.

"You're dead," he squeaked.

"Am I well then alert the Shadow Proclamation they'll throw a big party," Jack said turning to Dylan. "Has all of the _foreign_ tech been gathered up?"

"Yes sir, we have everything," Dylan said gesturing to a few boxes near the door.

"So Captain, will you tell my higher ups that aliens infiltrated the department or shall I?" Matthews asked crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe.

"You can deliver the message to your superiors; we are going to have more than enough to deal with now that the courthouse has gone sky high," he pulled a phone from his pocket and tossed it to Marnie. "Call Anwen and get a status update on the hub."

"Yes sir," Marnie said. She glanced sideways and caught a look from Dylan. There was going to be a lengthy discussion about Ms. Williams when they get home that evening. Robyn kept to herself and Jack was their boss so any work related gossip could only ever be shared between the two of them. She really wanted to know what was going on with Anwen and Jack. It was obvious there was some history there and Jack's decision to allow her to keep her memory of the weevil encounters all added up to a complicated picture in her mind. Only one thing was certain thus far.

She brought out the human in him.

"Captain, please tell me that Anwen at the hub is not former Police Constable Williams now terrorist Anwen," Matthews said looking very exhausted.

"No because Anwen at the hub is current Agent Williams of the Torchwood Institute who's greatest crime was doing her job and investigating a suspicious situation. You know what? Her hunch was right on the money. Andy Davidson has been murdered by our _foreign_ friends and she has been pivotal in our investigation so when all is said and done you will givea statement to the press announcing that she has been cleared of all charges on account of the allegations being false in the first place. Considering the service she is providing the public despite the slander this department has thrown her way without any proof I think it is the least you can do."

Marnie turned her back to Jack and Matthews to hide the grin on her face. She might have applauded if it were anyone but Captain Harkness telling off the Chief Constable. Anwen might bring out his human side but not enough of it to make her forget the well established dynamics of their team.

The phone began vibrating in her hand and she checked the ID, it was Anwen.

"Hello, how is…"

"Where are you?"

"At the police…"

"Get out right now! Do you have any idea how many times I've called? Where is Jack?"

"He is right here beside me what is it? What's wrong?"

"There is a second bomb in the police department set to detonate in… oh I don't know when! I've called five times since the ood told me five minutes to detonation now get everyone out… _NOW_!"

"Captain, there is a bomb on the property we need to evacuate now," Marnie said turning to the others.

"You said this woman was _not_ a terrorist right?"

"Move!" Jack shouted snatching the phone from Marnie's hand and holding the office door open. Robyn and Dylan took hold of Carwyn who seemed to be suffering from the shock of all the events of the evening and Marnie grabbed the fire alarm. Matthews followed the others out. Jack started tearing through the boxes they'd collected of alien tech then looked up at Marnie, still standing in the doorway. "Marnie get out."

"Sorry boss a higher power has commanded I stay with you," she said waving for him to lead the way.

"Did you really give my second-in-command an order to babysit me?" Jack asked into the phone. He smiled. "Well tough to both of you because there is one thing I need to do before this place blows. Marnie, run _now_!"

She turned and did as she was commanded. Marnie liked Anwen but she drew the line of fostering friendship at risking her life for Jack Harkness. Whatever, he had planned he must know what he's doing. He was the captain for a reason… right?

"Don't be long," she said running for the doors. There was some congestion at the main exit of the building. Cops escorting prisoners out in handcuffs like cattle. She paused by the photograph again and stared for a long moment the snatched it from the wall. "You and me, Gwen Cooper."

Marnie was less than two feet from the doors before she felt the shockwave and pitched forward. Glass and ash hailed down from the sky before she blacked out.


	13. Chapter 13

**Part 13) Aftershock**

I stopped outside the police station, gasping for breath. There was a fire truck outside and an ambulance. I could see men and women crowded around the scene pointing and gawking. There were news crews set up and above all their heads I could see a column of black smoke blotting out the stars. The third floor windows were all blown out and there was fire.

I doubled over and vomited. I'm a good runner but I don't think I've ever push myself half as hard as when I was on the phone with Jack and I heard the bomb go off. The last thing he said was a reassurance that he would be okay. I tried to tell myself that now but in my mind's eye I could see the fire and smoke swallow them. Jack and Andy. It didn't matter then that he was immortal because I knew he got hurt.

When I finish heaving I wipe the bile away with my wrist and shove my way through the crowds to get into the parking lot. I started towards the burning building when someone grabbed my arm. I turned to brush them off and a fist collided with my jaw. I stumbled back and fell to the ground.

"You bloody bitch!" I give my head a shake and look up to see Becca. She was cradling her fist as if I'd punched her hand with my jaw. "What organization do you fucking work for that you'd bomb a department full of people _you_ called friends?"

"I don't have fucking time for you," I snapped pushing myself to my feet and starting towards the building again.

_Jack has to be okay. He has to be. Didn't he say he'd been blown up before? I just need to make sure no one finds his body before he wakes up. _This couldn't stop my racing heart though.

"Hey, I was talking to you," Becca shouted grabbing my shoulder. I whipped around and grabbed her by the collar of her coat and shoved her against a parked car.

"Don't you touch me again or so help me God," I snapped. Egan rushed over and pulled me off of Becca who started pacing like a caged animal. I knew she didn't like me but I never expected to see that much hate in her eyes.

"I didn't do this Becca," I said pulling from Egan hands. I turned around and saw Marnie and Dylan standing with the paramedics and jogged over leaving Becca fuming and shouting. My legs felt gelatinous from all the running I've done today.

"Is everyone okay? Where was Jack when the bomb went off?"

"We're fine thanks to you," Marnie said smiling. "Our equipment didn't pick up the bomb how did you know it was there?"

"It wasn't alien technology according to the Ood. It wouldn't have shown up on the scanners," I answered looking around. I could see Robyn helping the paramedics deal with the injured but I couldn't see Jack anywhere. "Where is Jack?"

"He… he was right behind me he just said he had one more thing… Um… here, I-I don't know why I grabbed this on the way out," she handed me the cracked frame that held my mother's picture. She was smiling up at me as she always did from the wall in the police department. I felt water on my cheeks and put the picture down beside Marnie. I ran to the burning building ignoring the protests of the firemen and stopped in the main hall. The walls were stained in carbon and all that remained of my only home was bones. All the desks, pictures, plants, and papers were now the ashes beneath my feet. All the things that made the department what it was.

"You shouldn't be in here, it's not safe," said a fireman somewhere behind me.

"Have you found any bodies?" I asked.

"Just one but really miss it's not safe you need to go outside," he said guiding me back to the doorway.

"Show me where you took him," I demanded.

"Who?"

"Bloody hell, the body, there was only one body and it was a man's wasn't it? Show me where the body is!"

"Didn't I see you on the news?"

I threw up my hands in exasperation and stalked out of the wreckage. I pulled out my mobile and dialed Jack's number again. Maybe by some miracle the thing wasn't destroyed in the blast. I got a dial tone.

"JACK!" I screamed looking around the crowded lot. There were a thousand faces and not a single one of them mattered because they weren't him. "JACK _FUCKING_ HARKNESS WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"Miss me?" I turned to see Jack standing near the shrubbery that was now burning in the dark of the night. The dull glow of the flames illuminated him and I could see there was blood staining his clothes, his big grey coat was a ruin and yet there wasn't a scratch on his face. I sprinted towards him and saw a smile spread across his face.

I threw my arms around his neck and a sob ripped from my chest.

"Don't ever do that again! You bloody bastard!" I shouted holding him tight. Jack's arms wrapped around me in a comforting gesture and he kissed my forehead.

"I'm sorry I scared you… but you knew I wasn't going to die," he said. I could hear in his voice that he was uneasy. My emotional outburst must have caught him off guard but I was beyond caring I needed this.

"That was the second time tonight. The _second_ _time_ in two hours that I had to listen to a friend die over the phone. I don't care how immortal you think you are I don't ever want you to do that again. Not if you can avoid it," I snapped taking a deep breath. "You smell like charcoal."

"And you smell like vinegar," he said. We stayed there for a moment longer before I stepped back. He held up a small book that was charred around the edges.

"What is that?"

"A brand new address book I found in Lionel's office with only three names in it, including Owena's."

"So… only three aliens?"

"That's what I'm thinking. A little foolish of him to leave this thing lying around don't you think?" he said tossing the thing in the air and catching it.

"Well two died in the hub then there was the one in the court house I think I killed with the pepper spray…"

"Which leaves just the ood," he said.

"They weren't Slitheen as it turns out. Same species but one got mad at me for calling it Slitheen, said that its family name was Blaeveen."

"Well that's a relief. The Slitheen are notorious criminals but the Blaeveen have a reputation in the 51st century for their cowardice."

"In the 51st century?"

"Oh yes there are quite a few funny jokes about them. I'd share but I think there are a few references involved that it's a bit early for," he said laughing.

_Perhaps it is early to talk of travelling doctors…_

"So… back to work for you lot?" I asked glancing over my shoulder at Marnie and Dylan who were leaning against another car in the parking lot just holding hands and looking a bit exhausted.

"You know the scanners all indicated that the only foreign technology was here and at the court house. We've rounded that up and almost certainly if there are any more of these Blaeveen hiding in the UK they will head for the hills once they realize that we've killed their comrades. The ood are harmless. What say you we all take the rest of the evening off and do the house keeping tomorrow? Not to mention I'd like to get away before the paramedics that carried my body out realized it walked away," he said stuffing his hands into his pockets and glancing around.

"Isn't that a little irresponsible of you?" I asked.

"Yes but you need a break and I don't want you to be alone," he said. "I'd follow through on that offer to go out for a drink but I think we'd draw a little too much attention. Stinking of charcoal and vinegar like we do."

In spite of all the shit that went on that evening he managed to make me laugh. He took my hand and started towards where Marnie and Dylan were sitting. I watched his back as he cut through the chaos. When he spoke to Marnie and Dylan it wasn't in the typical authoritarian tones he'd been using all day. Which was nice and I'm sure they appreciated it. I took back my mom's photo from Marnie and left with Jack.

**Chapter 14 is a "deleted" chapter, something that I had fun writing but didn't make the final cut when uploading the story. Read it if you like but it is not important because it is not a canon event in this set of fanfiction stories**

**Sequel Story: Child of Torchwood is now being uploaded.**

**Prequel: First Encounters**

**I hope you enjoyed this fan fiction**

**I own none of the rights to the characters and I acknowledge the fact that I am taking some liberties with Torchwood's history to construct these stories in Cardiff**


	14. Deleted Scene

"Someone's coming," I whispered staring down the hall. Jack curses. We can hear the voices echoing down the hall emphasized by the clicking of a woman's heels. Jack quickly put away the laptop and darted for one of the doors lining the hall. He shook the handle but it was locked. I tried another, also locked. "What do we do?"

Jack looked up and down the hall jaw working as he tried to find a solution. He ran his hands through his hair and I could almost hear the wheels turning as he tried to think of a way out of this mess. There was no reason for us to be this far from the party and if Jack's Slitheen theory is right…

"Don't hit me, okay?"

"Why would I…" He grabbed my hips and pushed me against the wall. His lips pressed against mine hungrily as one hand travelled down my thigh. Shock was quickly replaced by lust. All thing considered it hadn't escaped my notice that Captain Jack Harkness is an incredibly attractive man. Now I also know he is an _amazing_ kisser. I kissed him back, knotting my fingers in his hair, holding him there like I might never let go. Jack's arm wrapped around my waist pulling our bodies closer together and...

"Excuse me, guests aren't allowed down here."

Jack stopped kissing me and he turned his head to look at who'd interrupted us, smiling a dopey smile.

"Sorry, sir. We were just… uh… looking for some place to be alone," he said stepping back as if embarrassed. I looked at them then looked down fixing the skirt of my dress as if embarrassed. It was them. The Deputy Chief of the police department, the mayor of Cardiff, and the third alien whose titles and identity I was unfamiliar with. It was amazing how human they looked. No seem where their flesh suits had opened up before, no stretching from squeezing their huge forms into the suits, and the expressions on their faces were all so normal. So human.

"Officer Williams, why don't you introduce us to your _friend_?" asked Sterlington.

"Oh, um Jack this is my boss Deputy Chief Lionel Sterlington of the Cardiff police department and Mayor Owena Clifford."

"Earl Jack Jones of Canterbury, it is a pleasure to meet you," he said shaking hands with the Mayor and Brown smiling broadly as if nothing were amiss.

"Canterbury you say? Pray tell how did the two of you meet," asked the Mayor who now regarded Jack with suspicious eyes.

"Well we met just last week, she pulled me over for speeding I asked her out to dinner and she hasn't been able to keep her hands off me," Jack said sliding a confidant arm around my waist again. "Well we are sorry about all this, please go back to your party and we'll find somewhere else to, uh, talk."

"We'd appreciate that," said the second man. There was a grumbling sound and then a smell. "Oops, pardon me it is this new diet my wife has me on. Its absolute murder."

The three began to laugh heartily as if at some joke and I was out of the loop. Jack laughed to so I smiled but I couldn't laugh I was too anxious. The trio walked off leaving Jack and I behind.

"Were the hands really necessary?" I snapped fussing with my dress, pretending to straighten it.

"I was acting and to answer your question officer in the 51st century no we don't have tonsils anymore."

I smacked him with my hand bag which only made him laugh as my skin flushed red.


End file.
